Sen. Boxer Touts New Transportation Bill in Oakland, Talks New Jobs
OAKLAND (KCBS) — U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer stopped by a major highway construction project along Interstate 880 in Oakland on Tuesday to promote her transportation bill and to push for a part of the jobs bill that would support similar projects.
Near the 5th Avenue overpass, Sen. Boxer called for two proposals she said are necessary for the nation.
Sen. Boxer asked for support of her $109 billion transportation bill which would reauthorize the nation's programs for the next two years.
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
"We have 70,000 bridges that are deficient like this one. We've got to fix them. 50 percent of our roads are substandard. It seems to me if America's going to remain a leader in the world, we can't have a failing infrastructure," Boxer said.
House Republicans are pitching their own six year $285 billion transportation plan.
Boxer said she's open to it as long as it's fully paid for in the time of declining gas-tax revenue.
She also wants Republicans to approve a transportation piece next week of the voted down jobs bill that would be paid for with the seven-tenths of a one percent tax on the second million dollars of a household's earnings.
"It will mean a huge number of jobs. For every billion dollars, it's 30,000 jobs," Boxer exclaimed.
Boxer's transportation bill comes up for committee vote on November 9th.
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